THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN SENT BY THE PENTAGON TELECOMMUNICATIONS CENTER ON BEHALF OF DA WASHINGTON DC//DASG-HSZ//DAMO-DASG//
THIS ALARACT MESSAGE IS SENT ON BEHALF OF THE SURGEON GENERAL//
SUBJECT: (U) NEW SOLDIER HEMOSTATIC DRESSINGS
REF/A/ALARACT 185/2005/INDIVIDUAL SOLDIER HEMOSTATIC DRESSING/SEP 05//
1. (U) THE COMBAT GAUZE DRESSING (NSN: 6510-01-562-3325) IS THE NEWLY APPROVED INDIVIDUAL SOLDIER HEMOSTATIC DRESSING. IN OCT 08, PEO-S WILL BEGIN REPLACEMENT OF THE CHITOSAN (HEMCON) DRESSINGS WITH ONE COMBAT GAUZE DRESSING IN THE IMPROVED FIRST AID KIT (IFAK) OF DEPLOYING SOLDIERS. SOLDIERS CARRYING COMBAT LIFESAVER (CLS) BAGS WILL CARRY THREE (3) COMBAT GAUZE DRESSINGS PER BAG. COMBAT MEDICS (68W) WILL CARRY THREE (3) COMBAT GAUZE DRESSINGS AND TWO (2) WOUNDSTAT (NSN: 6510-01-563-6628) PER MEDIC BAG. IN THEATER, PRIORITY OF ISSUE FOR COMBAT GAUZE DRESSINGS IS TO THE 68W COMBAT MEDIC, COMBAT LIFESAVER (WITH BAG) AND THEN THE INDIVIDUAL SOLDIER, IN THAT ORDER. ARMY CENTRAL COMMAND IS DEVELOPING DETAILED FIELDING PLANS FOR OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM AND OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM COMBAT THEATERS.
2. (U) WOUNDSTAT WILL REPLACE QUIKCLOT. USE OF WOUNDSTAT IS AS A BACK-UP TO COMBAT GAUZE, USUALLY IN THE EVENT OF INADEQUATE WOUND HEMOSTASIS WITH COMBAT GAUZE. INTENDED USERS OF WOUNDSTAT ARE MEDICAL CARE PROVIDERS TO INCLUDE 68W COMBAT MEDICS, IF PROPERLY TRAINED. TRAINING IS REQUIRED BECAUSE WOUNDSTAT GRANULES MAY ENTER THE LUMEN OF INJURED BLOOD VESSELS AND POSE A THEORETICAL RISK OF VESSEL THROMBOSIS. PROGRAMS OF INSTRUCTION FOR BOTH COMBAT GAUZE AND WOUNDSTAT ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE ARMY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT CENTER AND SCHOOL AT HTTPS://WWW.CS.AMEDD.ARMY.MIL. IN ANIMAL STUDIES CONDUCTED BY THE INSTITUTE OF SURGICAL RESEARCH, BOTH COMBAT GAUZE AND WOUNDSTAT WERE SHOWN TO BE SUPERIOR TO HEMCON AND QUICKCLOT IN SURVIVAL AND HEMORRHAGE CONTROL.
3. (U) WITHIN THREE TO SIX MONTHS AND BASED ON INDUSTRY SUPPLY, PEO-S WILL PROCURE 277,832 COMBAT GAUZE. AS OF 23 SEP 08, THE FIRST SHIPMENT OF 60,000 COMBAT GAUZE HAS ARRIVED IN THEATER AND IS CURRENTLY PROCESSING THROUGH HOST NATION CUSTOMS TO ENTER THE MEDICAL SUPPLY DISTRIBUTION CHAIN. WOUNDSTAT WILL BE PROCURED BY THEATER VIA USAMMCE. HEMCON DRESSINGS SHOULD BE TURNED IN TO THE MEDICAL SUPPLY SYSTEM ONCE THE UNIT/INDIVIDUAL HAS RECEIVED COMBAT GAUZE AND, FOR WHOM APPROPRIATE, WOUNDSTAT. UNIT SUPPLY PERSONNEL WILL TURN IN HEMCON TO THEIR SUPPORTING MEDICAL SUPPLY SUPPORT ACTIVITY (SSA). THE ARMY MEDICAL SSA WILL REPORT THE EXCESS IAW AR 710-2, AR 40-61, DA PAM 710-2-2, SB-8-75-11 AND THEATER POLICY BY LOT NUMBER, QUANTITY, DOLLAR VALUE AND SERVICEABILITY CODE (A-H) TO DEPARTMENT OF ARMY FOR DISPOSITION INSTRUCTIONS. THIS TRANSITION IS FUNDED BY ARMY GWOT AND SUSTAINMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR COMBAT GAUZE AND WOUNDSTAT WILL BE THEATER FUNDED.
4. (U) POC: COL PAUL R. CORDTS, DIRECTOR HEALTH POLICY AND SERVICES, OFFICE OF THE SURGEON GENERAL, COM: 703-681-0104, E-MAIL: PAUL.CORDTS@AMEDD.ARMY.MIL.
5. EXPIRATION DATE CANNOT BE DETERMINED.
For information on Woundstat visit TraumaCure’s website.